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Manual Osteopathy Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Claim My Insurance?
Yes. Most insurance companies & extended health benefits cover osteopathic treatments. Upon payment, a receipt will be issued to you to submit to your insurance company. Please check with your insurance provider for coverage details as each plan will vary.
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Do I Need a Referral From My Doctor?
Although referral by a doctor is not necessary, patients are encouraged to keep both their doctor and osteopath fully informed, so that their medical records are kept current and complete and the patient receives the best possible care from both healthcare practitioners. Osteopathic Manual Practitioners are skilled in diagnostic techniques and trained to identify when a patient needs to be referred to a doctor.
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How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Manual osteopathy is patient-centered, which means treatment is geared to you as an individual. For some acute pain patients one or two treatments may be all that is necessary, while others such as slipped disc can be between 6 and 10 visits. Your osteopathic manual practitioner will give you an indication after your first visit of how many treatments will be necessary.
Are Manual Osteopathic Treatments Effective?
​Clinical research has shown osteopathic treatment to be one of the most effective care available for low back pain, neck pain and other conditions of spine.
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How is an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner Different from a Chiropractor?
The major difference between an osteopathic manual practitioner and a chiropractor is that while a chiropractor is primarily focused on the spine and joints, an osteopath is also concerned with the rest of the body. Osteopathic manual practitioners treat patients with respiratory problems, digestive problems or any other number of problems that might not seem related to the spine or joints.
Both chiropractors and osteopathic manual practitioners use treatments that involve the moving of a person's body outside its usual range of motion. A chiropractor will do this by swiftly moving a joint out of its usual range of motion and putting it back in its starting position, often referred to "cracking". An osteopath will usually employ a more gentle technique that stretches the muscles surrounding a joint in ways that they are not used to stretching.
Osteopathic manual practitioners work with a patient's whole body, not just the spinal system and joints. An osteopath will conduct a thorough exam of a patient's entire body to diagnose the patient's problem. He is usually contacted in a patient's effort to reduce pain or heal from an injury, but he helps patients with a variety of other problems as well. His methods of treatment involve physical therapy, adjustments to the body and massage.
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Can an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner Help With Chronic Problems?
Yes, an osteopathic manual practitioner can treat people with chronic problems, but just massaging and manipulating joints and muscles is not enough to ensure long term relief; in fact over-manipulating someone's joints can cause long term damage. The answer is to look at the cause rather than the symptoms of chronic aches and pains. Aches and pains are your body's way of telling you that it is in distress, similar to a hazard light flashing on your car's dash board. Your body's defence mechanism or immune system is overloaded with stresses which can be put into the following categories: Physical, Physiological, and Emotional Stresses. By identifying and lessening or removing the main stresses on your body , and strengthening your immune system you can be well along the way to achieving long term relief from your symptoms.